1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to exercise devices and more particularly, to exercise devices which are rolled or slid across a surface by the user. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to devices for exercising the abdominal muscles.
2. Background Information
In the exercise of abdominal muscles, it has commonly been the practice to perform such exercises along the range of motion which coincides with the centerline of the exerciser""s body. Conventional sit-up and crunch exercises are examples of exercises which tend to follow the centerline of the exerciser""s body. A number of prior art exercise devices also restrict abdominal exercises to this plane of motion. Such exercises may have disadvantages in that they do not exercise all the major abdominal muscle groups; the transverse, the rectus, and the oblique.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,720 to Agamian, for example, discloses an exercise apparatus having a hand rail carriage, a foot slider carriage and longitudinal track guide means along with the hand rail carriage and foot slider carriage are slidable relative to one another. This apparatus may also include means for retaining an adjustable drag or resistance between the hand rail carriage and the foot rail carriage.
Another exercise device which restricts the user""s motion generally to the plane of the centerline of the user""s body is U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,901 to Palacios. This patent discloses a push-pull type of exercise device for exercising a person""s abdominal muscles including a track unit formed by a track board having an upper, body supporting surface extending between front and rear ends; and elongate, track-supporting base board for extending horizontally across a floor; a knee support on the base board adjacent the rear end of the track board; and, a support member for supporting the track board pivotally connected to overlie the base board at selected elevations. A hand-grip carriage unit with a pair of hand grips and an elbow support aligned rearward of the supporting surface for reciprocal rolling movement therealong. An anchoring unit for a person""s legs or hands, alternatively, is releasably mounted to the front end of the track board, when elevated.
Other abdominal exercise devices, while not strictly limiting the user""s motion to the plane of the centerline of his/her body, are based on a wheel and axle arrangement which requires the user to grip the lateral handles with his/her hands and move the wheel back and forth. While such arrangements do not prohibit a lateral motion, they are not easily adapted to allow the user to move in a forward and rearward path which is angularly disposed to the centerline of his/her body. Furthermore, such devices generally require the user to grip handles immediately adjacent to the wheel which are collinear with the axis of the wheel.
An example of such a wheeled exercise device is U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,475 to Ott which discloses an exercise wheel which is rotatable about a generally central axis. A spring is operatively associated with the wheel and axle increasing resisting rotation of the wheel.
Another wheel and axle exercise device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,296 to Tang, et al. In this device, a housing is provided with a receiving compartment, a grip rod which is put through the housing such that both longitudinal ends thereof are left out in the outerside of the housing, a main wheel rotatably mounted on the grip rod such that the main wheel is located in the receiving compartment of the housing, two auxiliary wheel sets pivoted in the housing such that they are linked with the main wheel, and at least one elastic recovery device disposed between the main wheel and the housing for providing the main wheel with a recovery force enabling the main wheel to return to its original angular position.
An exercise device for the abdominal muscles which appears to facilitate motion, not only along the centerline of the user""s body, but along paths angularly disposed to the left and right of such centerline is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,393. This patent discloses an exercise device in the form of a handle supported by at least three swivel castors and adapted to be moved about the floor while supporting the upper body of the person in use. The handle defines a longitudinal axis around which the swivel castors are symmetrically disposed. While this patent appears to allow a certain degree of lateral motion, it appears to have a grip for only one hand. Two devices, therefore, appear to be required for its use. In exercising with such a device, the user forgoes the possibility of having one hand support the other.
A need, therefore, exists for a simple, inexpensive and easily stored device for exercising abdominal muscles which can be easily gripped by the user with two hands to allow front and back motion not only along the plane of the centerline of the user, but along directions of motions disposed angularly to the left and the right of that centerline.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for exercising abdominal muscles which is adapted to use both along the plane of the centerline of the user and to the left and right of such centerline to exercise all of the major abdominal muscle groups.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an exercise device which the user may grip with both hands in a mutually supporting manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an exercise device which is adapted to a number of different exercises in a number of alternate positions so as to allow the user to exercise the full range of his/her abdominal muscle groups and other muscles and to provide him/her with a variety of enjoyable exercise routines.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise device which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an exercise device which may be used in the home and easily stored in a space efficient manner when not in use and which is adapted to be easily carried when the user is traveling.
This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the present invention which is a device for exercising abdominal muscles of a user comprising a freely movable platform having an upper surface and a lower surface. The device is adapted to be moved on said lower surface, and there are handles on said upper surface for allowing the user to grip said platform with both of his/her hands.
Also encompassed by the present invention is a device for exercising abdominal muscles comprising a platform having an upper surface and a lower surface adapted for omni-directional motion, a pair of generally longitudinal limb supporting areas positioned on said upper surface, a pair of lateral hand grips each of said pair extending from the upper surface of the platform and disposed in opposed relation laterally and outwardly from one of said limb supporting areas, and a front hand grip extending from the upper surface of the platform and disposed generally forward of the limb supporting areas.
The present invention also encompasses a method for a person to exercise abdominal muscles comprising the steps of first providing a platform having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein said upper surface has hand receiving means for both of said hands or forearm receiving means of both of said forearms of said person and said lower surface is adapted for motion on said substrate in a plurality of directions. Then the person engages the hand receiving means with both of his/her hands or engages the forearm receiving means with both of his/her forearms and positions his/her knees in a stationary position on the substrate in an arched back position. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a forward direction generally coplanar with his/her body centerline to an extended back position. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a rearward direction generally opposite from the direction traveled in step to an arched back position. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a forward direction generally opposite to said direction traveled in the previous step. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a generally forward direction which is angularly disposed to the direction traveled in the previous step and to the centerline of his/her body to an extended back position. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a rearward direction generally opposite to the direction traveled in a previous step to an arched back position. Preferably the person then moves the platform angularly forward to the opposite side of the centerline of his/her body and then rearwardly again.
Also encompassed by the present invention is another method for exercising abdominal muscles in which a platform having an upper surface and a lower surface and where on the upper surface has knee receiving means is provided. The person positions his/her hands or forearms on a stationary surface and positions his/her knees on the knee receiving means and assumes an arched back position. The person then moves the platform in a direction rearwardly, generally coplanar with his/her body""s centerline to an extended back position. The person then moves the platform forward on the stationary substrate with his/her knees in generally an opposite direction to return to an arched back position. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a generally rearward direction which is angularly disposed to the centerline of the person""s body to an extended back position. The person then moves the platform on the stationary substrate in a forward direction opposite to the angularly disposed position to an arched back position. Preferably, the person then moves the platform angularly rearwardly to the opposite side of his/her body""s centerline and then forwardly again.
Also encompassed within the present invention is a method of exercising abdominal muscles in which a person engages the hand receiving means on the platform with both of his/her hands or engages the forearm receiving means with both of his/her forearms and positions his/her knees on knee receiving means on the second platform. From an arched back position, the first platform is extended in a forward direction and the second platform is extended in a rearward direction to a generally extended body position. The person then moves the first platform rearwardly and the second platform forwardly to again achieve an extended back position. From this position, the user moves the first platform rearwardly and the second platform forwardly to an arched back position.
Also encompassed within the scope of the present invention is a method in which the user positions his/her hands or forearms on the platform while the knees are positioned on the stationary substrate. The person then moves the platform laterally in one direction and then laterally in a reversed direction, preferably in an arcuate motion.
Also encompassed with the present invention is a method in which the person positions his/her hands or forearms on a stationary substrate and positions his/her knees on the platform. While maintaining his/her hands or forearms in a stationary position, the platform is moved laterally to one direction and then in the opposite direction, preferably in an arcuate motion.